Child Protective Investigator

CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR -

Requisition No: 874721

Agency:
Children and Families

Position Number:

Salary: $50,000.08 annually / $1,923.08 bi-weekly

Children in crisis need quick action from strong, compassionate individuals dedicated to ensuring their safety. This demanding career could be your opportunity to speak for those with no voice and help ensure the safety of those who cannot protect themselves. We are looking for people who are detail‑oriented, possess good decision‑making skills, and can thrive in a high‑pressure, fast‑paced environment.

• Conduct investigations of abuse, neglect, abandonment and special conditions for children.
• Collect information through observation and interviews with the children, parents, relatives, and neighbors.
• Assess danger threats, child vulnerabilities and caregiver protective capacities to determine whether a child is safe.
• Arrange emergency placement for any child that cannot safely remain in their home.
• Notify state attorney, law enforcement and child protection teams.
• Provide families with service linkages to agency and community resources.
• Conduct initial and ongoing child present and impending danger assessments.
• Report indication of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment to the Florida Abuse Hotline.

• High school diploma or GED equivalent plus four years of law‑enforcement experience or active military service (honorably discharged or current service status honorably).
• Associate degree or 60+ credit hours from an accredited college or university plus two years of professional experience (e.g., guardian ad litem, family support worker, group home worker, teacher/teacher's assistant/aide, therapeutic assistant, family intervention specialist, home health aide/CNA, healthcare practitioner, nursing facility assistant, paramedic/EMT, dispatcher, security/safety officer, emergency management deputy/director, investigator for a government entity, or other welfare, education, first responder, emergency management or medical professional jobs that occur in high‑paced, high‑stress environments requiring critical decision‑making).
  
  OR two years of law‑enforcement experience or active military service (honorably discharged or current service status honorably).
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

Credential and Licensing Requirements:

• Must obtain a Florida Child Protective Investigator Certification from the Florida Certification Board within 12 months after provisional certification and maintain certification as a condition of employment.
• Valid driver license.
• Operational private vehicle for use in the performance of daily work activities, with proof of registration and appropriate insurance coverage within 30 days of hire.
• Ability to attend an 8–12 week mandatory training course scheduled during day, weekend, or evening hours.

• Language proficiency may be considered in the selection process as determined by Agency needs.
• May require successful completion of pre‑interview assessment or work sample to be eligible for interview.
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work or related field preferred.

• This position will require night, weekend, and holiday work and may require work before, during and beyond normal hours during emergencies or natural disasters.
• Incumbents may be exposed to possible hazardous conditions in the field.

Follow policy and procedures. Manage time, assess, plan, intervene, evaluate, document, engage, team, take appropriate actions related to domestic violence, mental health, and/or substance abuse, establish effective relationships with colleagues, and demonstrate professional competencies.

Must be physically able to perform the following: ambulate in varied terrains, assist with evacuation, use corrective devices, perform repetitive movements, bend, twist, turn, kneel, stoop, squat, lift and carry up to 30 pounds, assist clients in and out of properties and vehicles, sit/stand for extended periods, work 16‑hour shifts on occasion, remain alert, and drive during day and night hours.